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Nicholas Utter |
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No parents conclusively identified |
Nicholas Utter ★ was born sometime before 1640 WA15, BE7. Whether he was the “Nils Matson Utter”, the soldier who was
recruited in Stockholm, Sweden in 1653 and served in the colony of New Sweden
in 1654 JO1, has yet to be determined. He may
have married a widow named Elizabeth in about 1670 WA15, BE7,
and according to his will, he was the father of Sarah Forman, Jabez Utter, who
was his firstborn son, Thomas, who was his second son, Nicholas, William, and
Millicent Yeomans, and he also named his daughter-in-law, Ellinor
Randell, who was actually his stepdaughter, because she was the wife of Matthew
Randell, who was not a son of Nicholas Utter CO8.
Jabez Utter was
the first son of Nicholas Utter CO8 and
may have been born in about 1660 WA15. Thomas
Utter was the second son of Nicholas Utter CO8. He relocated from Westerly, Rhode Island to Stonington,
Connecticut prior to 1718/9 and was said to have married Hannah Cottrell, who
died in or before April 1742 WA15. Thomas
Utter was the father of six children whose births were recorded in Stonington,
Connecticut, who were John, born on January 29, 1703, Thomas, born on September
1, 1705, Desire, born on November 13, 1707, Benjamin, born on November 24, 1709,
Thankfull, born on May 9, 1717, and William, born on November
8, 1719 SC13. The administration of the estate of Thomas Utter, late of
Stonington, was granted to John Utter of Preston on October 11, 1726, on which
date both John Utter and Matthew Landale of Stonington in New London County,
Connecticut were bound by the court to perform an
inventory of the Thomas Utter’s estate CO31
Nicholas
Utter was said to have been from Kings Town, Rhode Island AU2 and may have been the father of Joseph, William, and Josiah
Utter WA15. Millicent Utter married John Yeomans about the year
1693 AU2, WA15 in Stonington, Connecticut WA15. John Yeomans of Tolland, Hartford County, Connecticut wrote
his will on June 28, 1725 in which he named his wife, Millisent
Yeomans, his sons, Elisha, Elijah, Ebenezer, Thomas, and John Yeomans, and his
daughters, Sarah Knap and Elizabeth, Melisent, Mary, and Mable Yeomans CO31. This will was proved on April 1, 1729
CO31.
Sarah
Utter married John Forman, Ferman, or Firman of Killingly, Connecticut, the son of John Ferman, prior to 1705 when a deed dated in that year
referred to her as John’s wife WA15. John
Firmin, Ferman, or Firman
was the father of Abigail, John, William, and Sarah, who were all baptized by
Reverend J. Fisk on June 10, 1722 in North Killingly, Connecticut CO29. John was also the father of Simon, baptized on April 5, 1724,
and Ebenezar, baptized on July 18, 1725 in North
Killingly CO29. Sarah died prior to February 8, 1715 when John Forman married
Hannah Spaulding in Killingly, Connecticut WA15. A
woman named Elizabeth Firman married John Moffitt on
February 2, 1726 in North Killingly in a ceremony officiated by Reverend J.
Fisk; it is unclear if Sarah (Utter) Firman was the
mother of this Elizabeth or if she was the mother of any of the above-mentioned
children.
William
Utter was born in 1679 AU2, WA15 and
married Anne Stone, the daughter of Hugh and Abigail (Busecot)
Stone on September 27, 1705 in Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island AR5, AU2. William and Anne Utter were the
parents of Sarah, born on August 1, 1707 in Warwick AR5. William was the allegedly the father of William AU2, WA15, born in 1709 AU2 or on November 5, 1713 WA15, Alice,
born on September 27, 1711 AU2, Ruth
AU2, WA15, born on December 30, 1714 WA15, Zebulon AU2, WA15,
born in 1724 AU2 or on August 9, 1725
WA15, and Anne or Anna AU2, WA15,
born on August 9, 1725 WA15 or
October 28, 1725 AU2, all in Warwick WA15. William and Anne Utter were the parents of Ailes, born on
September 27, 1711 in Warwick AR5. William
wrote his will on June 5, 1750 AU2 and died at age eighty-two on
January 7, 1761 according to his gravestone located on the family burial grond near Pawtuxet Bridge AU2, WA15. His will was proved on June 15, 1761 AU2.
Daniell Dawley,
John Cartwright, Nicholas Utter, and John Carr were
charged with the offense of opening the graves of Native Americans at the
General Court of Trials held in Newport, Rhode Island on May 6, 1678 GE3, CO3,
WA15.
Nicholas and the other three men declared that were innocent, but the verdict
of the jury found each of them guilty, and they were sentenced with either ten
stripes or a penalty of twenty shillings GE3:
Upon
an Indictment by the Gen.al Soliceter against Nicholas Utter prissoner
for diging open and Robin Indian graves. The said
Utter being brought forth into the Court and the Indictment to him Read, and he
askt whether Guilty or not Guilty of the charge:
pleads
Not Guilty and Referrs himselfe
for Tryall to the Cuntiy.
Jurrior next
afore. Named. The Jurry Verdict (Guilty)
The
Court upon consideration of the case doe contance the
said Nicholas Uter to Returne
all such things that he had from the Indian graves,
unto the house of mr Thom Ward in Newport, and
shall be sevearly whipt, with tenn
stripes on the 23. day of this Instant Month May; or Else pay a fine of Twenty
shillings in mony to the Generall
treasury. and shall alsoe pay fees,
and shall remaine a prisoner untill the courts contance be
performed.
According to the “Assessments of ye Estates of ye Towne of Rochestr
in ye Kings Province Sepr 6th 1687”, initiated by
Governor Andros, Nicholas Utter was assessed one shilling for a poll tax, and
two shillings, two and one-half pence for a property tax JE2, AU1. The previous year,
the town of Rochester in the King’s Province (now in Rhode Island) had been
called Kingston, and after Governor Edmund Andros was ousted, it resumed its
former name, and is now called Kingstown JE2.
He settled in Westerly, Rhode Island and became a freeman there on June 13,
1698 WA15, BE7: “At A
Towne meeting held at westerle June the 13.’ 1698 Voated whereas Niccolas Utter,
Edward Bliuine [probably “Blivine”]
and John Wells pettioned the towne
to be admitted freemen of this Tne [Towne] it is granted”
TO10. A Kingstown boundary change in 1695 resulted in taxes which were
assessed on his property, and after the constable of Kingstown seized certain
assets which belonged to Nicholas, he appeared at the town council meeting of
Westerly in 1699, obstensibly to request their
assistance in this matter WA15, BE7. He resided near Shannock
Falls in September 1707, when the Westerly town council set out the dividing
lines for the two companies of militia TO8:
to shanack falls neere to nicholass utters and soe to folow the River from s[ai]d falls
to the mouth of the Wood River the wood river to be the bounds and all The souldiers to the eastward of those bounds to be of the
second company…
In what was called the “Shannock Purchase” AU1, Nicholas Utter,
Nicholas Utter, Jr., William Gibson, Samuel Tift, Francis Colgrove,
George Babcock, George Foster, William Knowles, Samuel Clark, John Eanos, William Clark, Thomas Parker, Peter Parker, James
Adams, Daniel Wilcocks, David (or Daniel) Tennant, Samuell Lewis, William Utter,
John Wittor, Peter Tift, Jeremiah Crandall, Eber Crandal, Samuell Perrey, Joseph Brown, Weston
Clark, and John Tift purchased 9,722 acres of land at Narragansett on June 28,
1709 from Weston Clark, Randall Holden, Richard Green, and Philip Tillinghast,
for the sum of 486 pounds and two shillings WE13:
Know all men by these presents that we Weston Clark
Randal Holdon Richard Green & Phillip tillinghast being a comite apoynted & fully Empowred by
ye Govr & Company of the Colony of Rhoadisland & providence plantations to dispose &
make Sale of the vacant Lands in ys [this] naraganset Countrey belonging to sd Collony have for & in
Consideration of the Sum of four hundred Eighty six pounds two shillings currant
mony of new England in hand already well and truly payed unto us whoe Receive ye
Same in behalf & and for the use of ye Governor & Company afor sd of and att the hand of William Gibson nicholas
utter Samuel Tift francis Colgrove
George babcock George foster william
Knowles Samuel Clark John Eanos william
Clark Thom: parker peter parker James adams daniel wilcocks david tenant Samll Lewis
william utter John wittor
petter tift Jeremiah Crandall Eber Crandal Samll perrey
Joseph brown Weston Clark John Tift and
Nicholas utter Junr Inhabtints
of westerle Kingstown & Newport in the Collony above sd have bargained
Sold Enfeofed made & pased
over from the Govr and Company of the Collony above sd… a sertaine tract or parcell of Land
being part of the vacant Lands belonging to this Collony
Lying in ye naragansett Countrey
within ye jurisdictione of westerle
in the Collony abovesd att a place Commonly known by the name of Shannuck: butted & bounded on the Southern part by paquatuck River on the Eastron:
part by bever River on the westron side begining a little westword of the
mouth of meadowbrook and so Runing
north twelve degrees East seven mile and bounded on the north by the vacant
Land belonging to the Collony according to the mapp or plat made by mr John mum
ford Surveyor Containing nine thousand seven hundred and twenty two aceres all which togather with
the privledges & appurtinances…
In witness wherof we have hearunto
set our hands and seals this 28th day
of Jun in the Eighth yeare of her majests
Reigne anne by the Grace of
God Queen of Great brittaine &c anoqu domini nostri 1709
Signed Sealed and deliuered in
the presents of us John mumford Simon Smith
From the names on various deeds of sale,
it seems as though Jabez Tucker may have bought out William Utter, because
while William Utter’s name appeared on the original Shannock purchase, Jabez Tucker’s name did not, yet the
name of Jabez Tucker appeared on subsequent deeds of sale from this group of
men, to single buyers WE13. These twenty-six men sold the Shannock land in various parcels. Several lots were sold by
Nicholas Utter and the rest of the group on February 28, 1710: Thomas Parker
bought two tracts of land of 206 and 142 acres WE13, Francis Colgrove purchased two parcels of 206 and 146 acres WE13, John Underwood of
Jamestown, Rhode Island bought one parcel of 108 acres WE13, George Babcock
purchased two parcels of 249 acres and one hundred acres WE13, Peter Parker bought
two parcels of two hundred acres and 180 acres WE13, Samuell
Clark purchased two parcels of land, which were 108 acres and 223 acres WE13, Jeremiah Crandall
bought two parcels of land, being 432 acres and 110 acres WE13, Samuel Tift
purchased two parcels of 136 acres and 190 acres TO11, and Samuel Boone
purchased three parcels of land TO11. Daniel Brown
purchased over six hundred acres in Westerly on November 30, 1710 from the
group, for the sum of thirty-five pounds WE13.
As for Nicholas Utter, he purchased his
two shares of the Shannock land on February 28, 1710/11
WE13. The first parcel included 286 acres on the north bank of the Pawcatuck
River, and the second parcel was a lot of 156 acres WA15, AU1,
BE7.
A few months later, on May 29, 1711, he sold the
parcel of 286 acres to his son, Nicholas, for the sum of two hundred pounds WE13, AU1,
BE7.
A transcription of the deed of sale to Nicholas Utter from the Shannock purchasers has been provided WE13:
know all men by these presents that we william Gibson Samll Tift samuell perry thomas parker Eber
Crandall Jeremiah Crandall francis Colgrove daniell tenant John witter John tift Nicholas utter Jur
Jabez Tucker Weston Clark george Babcock george foster Samll Lewis
Josep Brown William Knowles peter Tift John Eanos Daniel wilcocks william Clar Samll Clark
peter parker James adams inhabitanc
of westerly Kingtown & Newport in ye Collony of Rhode Island and providence
plantations in New England having purchasd a tract of
Land of Mr weston Clerk majr
Randal Holdon Mr Richd
green Mr Philip Tiling hast being Gentlem impowred impowred [sic] by the Collony
abovesd to make Sale of ye vagrennt [vacant] Lands in ye narronganset Country as p[e]r Deed bearing Date the 28th day
of June 1709 may more Largly Apear
have bargained and Sold enfeofed Made and pased over from
us our heirs Executors administrators for Ever two tracts or percell of Land sittuate in
westerly and Colony aforesd one tract bounded
northerly by an high way Easterly partly by Samll parys Land & partly by wm Clerks
land southerly by paucatuck River westerly by Thos
parkers Land and is by Estemation 286 acres of Land
be the same more or Less the other tract bounded Easterly upon weston Clarks Land southerly by Samll Tifts Land westerly on an high way northerly on an high way
and is by Estemation 156 Acors
be it more or Less according to as [the following word may have been “it”] is Sett forth by a draft made by Danll Brown
Serveyer to gather with all preveledges
and appurtenances belonging their unto we ye above
sd purchasers have bargained and sold Conveyed and
Confirmed unto Nicholas Utter of ye Town
of westerly and Government aforesd yeoman
To him his heirs to him his heirs [sic]
Executors administrators and assigns for Ever for and in Consederation
of a valluable Sum of mony
in hand payed to us by said Nicholas Utter to our
full Sattisfaction & content for the above sd
demised and bargained premises and we the aforesd purchesers Doe for our Selves our heirs Executors & admistrs
from the Ensealing & delivery herof
Renounce any rite title intrest property Claim or
demand unto sd Land and premises and doe Convey both for our
Selves and our heirs our whole rite & title unto sd
Nicholas utter his heirs or assigns in witness hereof we have Sett to our hands and Seales this 28th day of February 1710/11
He and his son, Nicholas Utter, Jr., sold
a parcel of land to George Babcock on January 2, 1709/10, but the lateral
portion of this deed has become too faded to discern the quantity of acres of
this transaction WE13. He moved to Stonington, New London County,
Connecticut and made a land purchase on January 8, 1714; the southern boundary
of his land there met the Ashaway River by Glade
Brook WA15, BE7.
Nicholas died sometime between May 5,
1722, the date his will was created, and August 17, 1722, the date it was
proved before Daniell
Palmer, Justice of the Peace, in Stonington, Connecticut CO8, BE7,
AU1.
The transcription of his will has been provided CO8:
Stoningtown ye 5th day of May 1722. I Nicolas Utter of Sd Stoningtown
in the county of New London and Colony of Conettecut
being of perfect mind and memory do make and ordaine
this my last will and Testament that is to say first of all I Recommend my soul
unto god that gave it me and my body unto the earth to
be buried in decent Christen buriell.
Secondly.
My will is that all those debts I doe owe in Right to
any person what so ever be well and truly paid by my
Executors here after named.
Item. I give and bequeath unto Elisabeth my well beloved wife one bed and beding
belonging to it, which she shall chuse, one small
iron kettell, two small iron potts,
three putter platters and two cows to be att her own desposall and ten pounds a year yearly during her natturall life which Legacy I give instead of her Right of
dower and power of thirds.
Item. I give and bequeath unto
my brethren the first day baptus att
grotton or belonging unto that meeting twenty pounds
for the use of that meting.
Item. I give and bequeath unto
my daughter in law Ellinor Randell wife of Matthew
Randell ten pounds.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my well
beloved friend John Richmond one of my Executors five pounds.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my well
beloved children and gran children born of my daughter Sarah forman all the Remainder of my Estate both Raill and personall un to be devided amongst them of followeth
that is to say unto my well beloved Eldest Son Jabez Utter one seventh part of
that part of my Estate which is to be devided amongst
my children and gran-children.
Item: I give and bequeath unto my well beloved second son
Thomas Utter two seventh parts of that part of my Estate that is to be devided between my children and sd
gran children.
Item. I give and bequeath to my well
beloved son Nicolas Utter one seventh part of my devidable
Estate.
Item. I give and bequeath to my well
beloved son William Utter one seventh part of my devidable
Estate.
Item. I give and bequeath unto my well
beloved daughter Millicent yeomans one seventh
part of my devidable Estate to be att
her disposell to give to one of her Children which
she shall see cause and her Receipt Shall be a Sofisent
[sufficient] discharge to either of my Executors.
Item.
I give and bequeath unto my gran children born of my daughter Sarah forman one seventh part of my devidable
estate to be equally devided amongst them and the
Reason wherefore Thomas my second son is to have a double Share is because of
his care and Trouble in looking after me in my old age, it is to be understood
that What I have given unto my Children and gran children is to them there heirs and assignes forever.
Excepting what I have given to my daughter Millicent and that to be as it is expresed in this will. I also constitute make and ordain
Peter Crandell. John Maxson and John Richmond to be my Executors unto this my
Last will and Testament or either of them that shall see cause to serve it
shall fullfill this my Last will and Testament and I
do hereby pronounce and declar and Rattifi and confirm this and no other to be my Last will
and Testament, in witness here of I have Confirmation here of I have here unto sett my hand and seal the Date above sd.
Signed
sealed pronounced and declared by the sd Nicolass Utter to be his Last
will and Testement In presence of Robart
Burdick Peter Tift Elesebeth Tift